One of the first reviews I wrote was for a micro-brand called AUDRIC, and I spent some time with their SeaBorne diver. That watch was very nicely done with some great details, but for day to day, wear was probably larger and heavier than I would have been used to. Over the last year, I’ve stayed in contact with the owner of AUDRIC watches as he has developed under the sister company Iridium watches, this new Torpedo model which from the first renders I saw of the watch I felt he was on the right track. Whilst the AUDRIC SeaBorne was a serious deep-sea diver, the Torpedo is more sports recreational divers watch. After months of waiting, I received a pre-production model to try for a few days and here is how I got on.

So the look Iridium went with for the Torpedo is a more vintage aesthetic overall but with more modern sizing in terms of what we expect for a diver watch. The case on the Torpedo measures 42mm in diameter with a lug to lug of just a shade over 50mm, so it is certainly in line with a lot of modern divers watches in terms of dimensions, and at 13mm in thickness, I didn’t find this sat uncomfortably proud on my wrist. It’s by no means a small watch. It’s a tool watch, and a divers watch at that, but from a comfort standpoint, I found this one wears well on my just over 7inch wrist. The case finishing is also very nicely done and especially considering this was a pre-production example. Vertical brushing to the sides with a nice polished transition to the top of the case again fine brushing. Simple but very nicely done.

No divers watch would be complete without the unidirectional bezel, and Iridium on the Torpedo delivered very well on this one. The 120 click bezel has an excellent clicking action with just the right amount of resistance. It’s a simple feature on a divers watch. Still, I’m constantly surprised how wrong manufacturers can get this by delivering a poor bezel action that’s either far too stiff or so loose there is no way it could ever serve the intended purpose. Thankfully Iridium nailed this one, and the icing on the cake is the fully lumed bezel markers using BGW9 Superluminova. The bezel finish itself on this sunburst deep blue dialled version is again brushed, and it’s one of the nicest finishes on a bezel I’ve seen at this price point. I love the texture the brushing adds against the crisp white of the bezel markers. This, combined with the coin edge knurling, really adds to the vintage vibes Iridium was going for with the Torpedo and finishes the look off very well.

Moving in from the bezel, the next thing you will notice is the crystal that Iridium opted for with the Torpedo. This is a very domed sapphire crystal that sits proud of the bezel. It offers the kind of distortion you would get from the thick acrylic crystals in actual vintage divers while still giving the total durability that we have come to expect from modern sapphire crystals. In truth, it is a bold move, and I’m sure there will be some who find the distortion a bit too much at certain angles. But if I’m honest, I enjoy the character it gives to the watch, and it certainly doesn’t negatively impact my ability to tell the time. It fits nicely with the watch's vintage ethos, in my opinion, but we all like different things, and I can see how some may not be so keen. 

The dial that sits underneath that crystal in this watch is blue. An intense sunburst blue and it features applied simple circular hour markers except for the 12, 3, 6 and 9 positions where diamond markers are used. These are all generously filled again with Superluminova giving excellent night time visibility. The hands are the same, filled with Superluminova except for the bright orange lollipop seconds hand that features lollipop only end lumed. Overall it’s a simple dial with dial writing kept to the minimum with only Iridium at just below the noon position and Torpedo, 30 ATM at just above the 6 o’clock. The only other addition to the dial is the date window at the 3 o’clock position, and thanks again, Iridium made sure on this version the date wheel was black, so it fits nicely with the colour scheme. 

Ticking away in the back of the Torpedo is the Miyota 9015, which initially surprised me as I’m so used to seeing Seiko movements used in such a lot of microbrand watches over the last few years. But the Miyota is used here, and I haven’t noticed any issues with this movement in use in the Torpedo. It beats at 28800 BPH, has hacking and hand winding and is generally a solid, reliable movement, so no complaints here on this one. Iridium also went to the trouble of doing custom rotor engraving and making the movement visible through a display case back! 

And finally, attaching the Torpedo to this wrist is the job of the bracelet. The bracelet on the Torpedo is a jubilee style with alternating polished and brushed links. Sizing is easy as they are screwed links, and the milled clasp and general finishing match the rest of the watch in that it feels solid and high quality. The lug width is 22mm on this, and so it’s a chunky bracelet and definitely a feeling of heft to it. If you're a fan of bracelets and the jubilee style, you will definitely like the feel of this one.

So after spending a week or so with the Torpedo from Iridium, what do I think? Well, firstly, I believe Iridium and the owner of Iridium Akshay should be proud of what they are doing here with the Torpedo. They have delivered here a watch with an attention to detail that I believe shows a watch designed and built by someone who loves watches. So many details on watches can look very appealing but in some ways are superficial. Let me explain. 

The Torpedo could have featured a lumed bezel but saved money by not using Superluminova, but they didn’t, and they went on to use it on the dial and the crown too. They wanted a vintage distortion to the crystal and again could have gone quite justifiably with acrylic for that look, but again they didn’t. They used the sapphire, added anti-reflective coating to it and then also used sapphire for the display case back as well. The case is nicely finished and uses 316L stainless steel. Most brands would leave it there, but Iridium added an anti-scratch coating to keep it looking good. I could go on, but my point is it feels like this watch was designed by someone who wasn’t cutting corners from a specifications perspective. At this price point, it feels like they squeezed the best they possibly could into this watch, and it shows.

From a design perspective, I like the overall aesthetic of the Torpedo. I think they got the vintage but modern look pretty much spot on. The high level of crystal distortion fits with the watch's character and will be something that I think people will like or won’t, but for me, I quite liked it. I’d love to see an option where this came on some sailcloth or rubber strap option, and for me, 20mm in terms of lug width is always a better fit, but that’s just my personal preference. I’m not a fan of display case backs, but as I said previously, they used sapphire and took the time to detail the rotor on the movement. Again that’s just my personal preference, and some people will love it, I’m sure. Again this feels like a watch where Akshay has designed what he likes and made sure the specifications in those areas would be what he would want, and for that, I commend him.

For me, the Iridium Torpedo is a very nicely made watch with an impressive specification list at this price! Is it my perfect divers watch? No, but it may well be for many people looking for something in this price range with a bit more character and doesn’t cut corners in terms of finishing and specifications. If the Torpedo aesthetic appeals to you, then you can’t go wrong with this one.

For more information on the Iridium Torpedo, check them out here

• Case: 42 mm * 50 mm 316L Stainless Steel case. Anti-Scratch Coating

• Movement: Miyota 9015 movement.

• Case Thickness: 13mm.

• Water Resistance: 300 m (1000ft) / 30 ATM.

• Lug width: 22 mm.

• Crown: Screw-down crown with IRIDIUM logo filled with BGW9.

• Bezel: 120 Clicks Steel rotating unidirectional bezel with BGW9.

• Dial: Sunburst dial with Swiss Superluminova BGW9.

• Hands: Hands filled with Swiss Superluminova BGW9.

• Lens: Double dome sapphire crystal with Anti Reflective coating.

• Bracelet: 316L Stainless Steel with diver clasp and screws for easy sizing.

• Caseback: Screw-down with reverse engraved specs with Torpedo logo.